


Time Enough for Goodbye

by ScaryScarecrows



Series: Gaslights [9]
Category: Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018)
Genre: ALL ABOARD THE TRAIN TO TRAGEDY TOWN, Gen, Oh golly gee I wonder who dies, You thought this was a game?, you were wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-14 14:50:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14138310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScaryScarecrows/pseuds/ScaryScarecrows
Summary: Dick, in the end, is the one to find him.





	Time Enough for Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> Recommended, uh, mood music: Eurielle's 'City of the Dead'.

Dick, in the end, is the one to find him.

Like he would have been hard to miss-there’s a. A harpoon, jutting up out of his chest, keeping him pinned to the floor and it doesn’t _matter_ because things are _not_ supposed to point that way and _Jay no no please-_

He’s not. He’s breathing. Sort of-awful wet gasps that keep catching in his throat and Dick vaults over a pile of rubble and crouches down next to him.

This is bad. This is bad-bad, Bruce can’t…there’s no…

_Oh, God, Jay…_

Never mind the harpoon, never mind the twisted limbs, Jason’s lying in a pool of blood and he looks so _small_ , like he used to when Dick could carry him without too much effort. Joker…that son of a bitch…he was at _school_ , he should have been _safe._

“Shit, Jason,” he breathes, and his brother’s eyes flutter open, glazed over and unfocused, before clearing a little when they settle on him. The following grin is ghoulish and weak and short-lived.

“Dick.”

“Yeah,” he says, voice rising a few octaves. “Yeah, I’m right here, we’re gonna. We’re gonna get you home and Alfie’ll get you back to good as new, okay? Just. Just don’t move, Bruce an’ Tim’ll-”

Jason’s coughing, harpoon wiggling a bit and blood splashing up to his lips and dripping down his face in red icicles. Dick swallows down the urge to scream and scream and scream and dabs them off, or tries to, with his shirtsleeve. All that really does is smear them into his skin.

“Shh, Jay, s’okay, s’okay, we’re gonna make this okay…”

“Hurts-” he gasps, eyes squeezed shut and tears streaking down his cheeks. “Dickie-”

“I know it does, I know, just shh…” He’s terrified to touch him, even, but it doesn’t matter and they both know it and he reaches out, brushes his fingers against the matted hair before pressing his palm against his face. Jason gasps, fingers jerking and pressing against the ground.

“Mmm-y mom,” he whimpers, eyes half open and _terrified._ “I wan’. Wanna be with my mom.”

“Not today, Jason, s’okay-”

“Dick, _please_. Promise.”

_God no please please no._

“I promise, Jay, I promise, but not today, you’re gonna be okay, Bruce-”

He coughs again and this time his whole body jerks, back arching and forcing the-the harpoon further in and _Bruce where are you please-!_

“Shh, Jay-bird, shh.” He’ll remember the squishy cutting sound, like rare meat, for the rest of his life. “Shh.”

Jason finally stills, tears falling off his face and into the blood beneath him, and Dick tries to wipe his face again. His brother’s skin is already freezing.

“Hurts,” he breathes again, tongue pressed against the back of his mouth, and Dick grips his hand.

“S’okay, Jay-bird, you’re gonna be fine, Bruce’ll be here any second.”

“Tim,” Jason whispers, and Dick nods reassuringly.

“Tim too-”

 **“No.”** The broken, bloodied hand twitches, fingers scraping against his wrist. “Tim. He doesn’t need ta see this. Dick, _please_ **-** ”

Right on cue, they hear Tim, in the distance but getting closer.

_Shit._

“Dick-”

“Okay, Jay. Okay. Bruce’ll. Bruce’ll be here, just please hang on.”

Jason’s head drops to the side but his eyes are still open, a little, and he’s looking at Dick like Dick’ll make this _right_.

“’ll be ‘ere.”

They have time, if they don’t move that harpoon, they have time. They have time enough for goodbye, don’t they? Dick’s seen men caught in machines linger for hours until they get them dislodged, held together by metal. They have time.

He kisses Jason’s forehead anyway, swallows the creeping horror that they _don’t_ have time for goodbye, and goes to head Tim off and point Bruce in the right direction.

And Bruce. Meets them, not ten minutes later, and Jay’s so goddamn still in his arms and Dick knows, deep down, that he was gone before Bruce got to him.

But they were supposed to have _time._

THE END

 

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Happy death day, Jason!
> 
> Okay…so I’m kind of sorry but not sorry enough. Don’t look at me like that, he gets better and you know it.


End file.
